Nityananda’s last disciple

Still, the whole society of Sri Chaitanyadev’s followers, the six goswamis, and all the Vaisnavas in Vrndavan, were already extremely satisfied with Vrndavan Das Thakur’s Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat. Vrndavan Das Thakur presented unlimited glorification of Sri Chaitanyadev’s Pastimes in his Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat. Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami expressed the final Pastimes of Chaitanya-lila in his Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta, but he never crossed the prestige of Vrndavan Das Thakur. He gave full honour to Vrndavan Das Thakur. Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami wrote many times in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta:

chaitanya-līlāra vyāsa — vṛndāvana-dāsa

«I am not Vyasa. Vrndavan Das Thakur is the avatar of Vedavyas in Chaitanya-lila.»

Vrndavan Das Thakur was the last direct disciple of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Vrndavan Das Thakur lived in Mamagachhi and later by the order of Nityananda Prabhu went to Denur, where he spent his final days composing the Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat. There he revealed the Pastimes of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was greatly attached to the Pastimes of Nityananda Prabhu though, and he first glorified Nityananda Prabhu so much. In an intoxicated mood of devotion he described Nityananda Prabhu’s Pastimes very widely. We are surprised to hear it, and we feel it to be a miracle. He is revealing Mahaprabhu’s Pastimes, but he is glorifying Nityananda Prabhu so greatly. It is a miracle, and we feel his book could also be called Nityananda-bhagavat. We are so happy when we are reading the Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat. We cannot believe how sweet it is. Srila Prabhupad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur wrote in his Gaudiya-bhasya,

śrī-chaitanya-bhāgavata grantha śuddha-bhakti-mata
kahe sadā śrī-bhaktivinoda
nirantara pāṭha-phale kubuddhi yāibe cha’le
kṛṣṇa-preme labhibe pramoda

«Bhakti Vinod Thakur has taught that Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat is a suddha-bhakti grantha [a treatise on pure devotion]. It is like the Ganges flowing from above to below, and nothing — no misconception or unfortunate influence — can stand in its way. By regularly reading Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat one will attain the joy of Krishna-prema.»